What’s The Rush?

Today, as I listened to lo-fi music, I felt myself internally slow down. Not that I was doing much, but usually my mind is going a hundred miles per hour even when I’m just lying down. I don’t know what it was about the music, but as soon as I began listening, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to how fast I’d been running ever since I started this journey with Christ.

It’s not that Christ has been in a rush. It’s that I felt, in order to reach everything God has for me, I had to run as fast as I could and keep on running—as if arriving depended on my effort instead of His grace. Though admirable, even this can lead to a devastating end.

If our steps are ordered by the Lord, and if we truly trust God’s timing for everything, why are we always in such a rush? I now realize that rushing is an indicator that faith is lacking. There is a set time for everything, and nothing we do can expedite God’s process. Most of the time when we are drained, it’s no one’s fault but our own. We tend to do, do, do, never having enough faith to sit back and watch Him work. We must possess the mindset that it is already done. Everything we need is in Christ, and He is the epitome of completion.

I’m learning that every time I say, “Lord, Your will be done,” it applies to every step I take and every move I make. If God is calling you to slow down, it does not mean you will be delayed. It is in obedience that we are propelled forward, and heeding God’s direction keeps you exactly where you need to be.

I’m currently watching the television series The Chosen, which tells the story of Jesus and His disciples. Though it is only a reenactment, I still feel the Holy Spirit would like us to learn from it. In the show, Jesus never seemed to be in a rush to leave or go anywhere. He understood that wherever He found Himself at any particular moment was exactly where He was meant to be, when He was meant to be there, because His steps were ordered.

One of His disciples asked if they could make a stop along the way. He hesitated because he didn’t want to throw Jesus off course or delay their arrival to their next destination. To his surprise, without hesitation, Jesus replied, “Of course!” I’m paraphrasing, but the point is that Jesus did not think twice about slowing down.

When they arrived at the stop, there was a man Jesus intended to make His newest disciple. Had Jesus been in a rush, He would have missed that perfect moment to add to His group of followers. Even though He stopped while journeying onward, He was exactly where He needed to be for the fulfillment of God’s will.

I heard someone say online that whenever you feel the need to rush, intentionally slow down. I’m taking that advice into this new year.

Scripture to reflect on:

Psalm 37:23

“23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“1) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven”